Where the moon becomes brighter

Epilogue

Charon slowly opened his eyes, waking up in a room in Stallinox's castle after what he pulled through. Not knowing what happened, nor remembering anything, he began looking around semi conscious, until he spotted a tall figure with insectoid wings and claws inspecting a gray scarf that was on the table next to the bed. Charon's eyes opened wide at the sight of what appeared to be Chrysalis, but once he came to his senses he realized it was not Chrysalis, but Executor instead, still in his changeling form. Executor turned his head to Charon once he noticed he was waking up, and smiled.

"You're awake? That's good." Executor said.

Charon's reaction was nothing else than desperately backing off in fright, until he fell off his bed head first. He held his knee in excruciating pain and tried not to let out a yell of pain, his head also feeling the same way, both being chipped by Chrysalis' sword in the fight against her. Executor tried walking closer to him surprised, but Charon kept crawling back despite the pain until he was cornered, Executor stopping on his tracks and raising his arms as if making sure he knew he was unarmed.

"W-wait, it's me, Executor! I... Uhh... I'm still a changeling, but Chrysalis controls me no more! We won back then, there's nothing to fear. The bad thing, however, is that this changeling... Transformation... Could not be cured. Me and Chaser are stuck like this."

Charon's eyes narrowed at Executor's explanation, then became sorrowful seeing as not everyone was spared from Chrysalis' horrors. With his help, he stood up, and asked him a question. "What happened, then?"

"Berserk, the three of us, I can't remember much either. The last thing I can remember was Luna talking to me in my mind, then I blacked out and woke up in a hospital. I was told the three of us turned into Berserkers and managed to turn the tide of the entire war against Chrysalis, and that you and Luna... Became 'of one mind', they say your eyes were first blue when Luna spoke through you, then red, and finally violet, as if you two shared the same body; with that, you two defeated Chrysalis, Hell knows how, and finally the three of us fell exhausted. You and Concord were unconscious the longest, him receiving the worst wounds and punishment, and you stressing yourself past Terran limits. Chrysalis somehow managed to chip the bone in your knee and almost crack your skull open, but you recovered, I really can't even begin to imagine what you went through... Concord almost died, despite being immortal, I guess there's a threshold for everyone. He's resting in the other room. I honestly didn't think he'd pull through but, hey, this ain't Terra no more."

"Luna..." He said to himself as he held his head before turning to the Terran changeling Executor. "Where is her?"

"Waiting for you to wake up." He said as he cracked a smile. "Let's go."

The both walked out the door into the hallway, where they could hear Celestia crying already, though couldn't see why. As they walked forward into the main room, they finally saw her and realized why she was crying, she was hugging Concord who woke up before Charon, and her tears were out of joy that he avoided death by a slim margin. Charon also spotted Chaser, still a changeling too, who was enjoying a glass of alcohol sitting on a sofa, giving a thumbs up at him once he saw him.

"She's... Not here...?" Charon asked after waving at Chaser.

"She's asleep." Answered Chaser. "She's been waiting since the four of us got back from the hospital. She's in your office, the effort we had to apply to make her go to sleep and still failing..." He sighed.

Charon thanked Chaser and began walking out of the room, reaching the mail hall of the castle, with the carpet leading to the throne right in front of him. He kept walking forward heading towards the giant staircase, seeing both ponies and changeling ponies, with their free will recovered, saluting him and smiling as they saw how he was finally alright. Cracking a smile, seeing ponies care for him, he walked up the staircase and reached a hallway, from which he could see his office's door slightly open. He walked until he reached it, opening it and seeing Luna asleep on a chair with her arms and head on the table right on top of a few paper. He smiled, this being the first time he saw her without worrying about worse things, and walked closer to her, seeing her asleep without fear, without suffering.

'I shouldn't wake her up now...' He thought, but before he could turn and walk away he could see Luna already opening her eyes, until she spotted him and stared, soon a tear following.

"C...Charon..." She could barely say, exhausted and surprised.

"Don't cry..." He said as a tear began running down his cheek too. "You'll only make me cry too..."

Luna quickly stood up, almost accidentally throwing the chair to a side, and hugged Charon before he could even react. His first reaction after that was hugging her back.

"I missed you..." She whispered.

"I said I'd find you, I said I'd free you... I said I'd do the impossible for you..." He spoke, before Luna silently kissed him in the lone room. This was their very first kiss, done without fear, without deception, without worry.

A few days later, the three changelings Chrysalis, Chaser and Executor walked on the streets of Canterlot, Chrysalis still using her Terran form.

"You fought against us ever since we arrived, and planned conquest even before then. Why would we listen to you?" Chaser questioned.

"I'd rather not end up at the bottom of the ocean as punishment. I seek redemption." Chrysalis answered.

"You killed more than two thirds of the ponies in this world, and turned into changelings countless souls. What make you think we will--"

"Hold up." Executor interrupted Chaser. "How can we trust you?"

"My powers are gone, and even then, I was defeated at my strongest point with an unlimited number of changelings against you. It's obvious what would happen if I tried again."

Chaser sighed. "We still need help rebuilding the world...Though I don't think anypony would be happy with seeing you walking around free."

"They'll have to get used to it." Executor said. "The ponies are not as vengeful as Terrans. If we can deal with Chrysalis being free, then I'm fairly certain so can they. Still, Queen of the Changelings, it'd be useful if you told us how to make use of this changeling transformation."

Chrysalis sighed and rubbed her eyes before beginning with the explanation. "Discordian Immortality made you both powerful, now with the changeling transformation that power can be used to command changelings, just like how Patriarch was powerful enough to command half the swarm to siege this place."

"That information is useless, there aren't changelings anymore."

"Not changelings in particular, but there are still changeling ponies."

"They earned their free will, why would we force them into servitude again?!"

"You have the ability to control them, it's up to you what to do with that power."

The three of them reached Canterlot Castle, and entered through the giant doors that towered at the entrace. Inside, it was crowded with ponies and changeling ponies as far as the eye could see. It was justified, however, seeing as Luna's and Charon's marriage was about to start in a few hours. Chaser held his gasmask's chin, thinking about the last thing Chrysalis said until he decided to call for a few changeling ponies, to which no less than 30 answered the call and gathered around him.

"I want to test a new ability Executor and I have, which is to say, controlling changelings and changeling ponies. Of course, first I have to ask if I have your permission to do so." Chaser stated.

The 30 changeling ponies discussed among themselves, and after a while began nodding and giving their approval.

"It is decided, then." He said as he began focusing, until his gasmask's visor lit up green. Soon enough the 30 changeling ponies' eyes lit up green too, and moved to an almost perfect square formation in the blink of an eye. Chaser and Executor were surprised by such efficiency, not even Terran soldiers trained since childhood would compare to what happened right in front of their eyes.

"...What are you planning to do?" Executor asked Chaser.

"We can surprise Charon with a sudden small performance by the changeling ponies and put these abilities to the test..." He looked around until he spotted Atticus himself among the crowd. He called for him, to which he answered by walking up to him.

"Ah, I'm glad to see you here. Glad, except for Chrysalis..." He said.

"She'll do no harm, she can't even if she wanted to. Are there still swords from the medieval era?"

"Hmmm... I remember having a problem with them a few days ago, being useless and taking up so much space... You're lucky, we started melting them, if you hurry maybe you'll find a couple thousand at best in Stallinox's warehouses."

"I see... Executor, listen, head to the balcony and once I give the signal you'll take command of the 15 changeling ponies on your side of the carpet and do as I do with them, alright?"

"...Alright."

"I'm still not sure about Chrysalis being allowed to be here..." Atticus questioned.

"She won't cause trouble. Not only she can't, if she even thought about it she'd end up wasting her only chance at redemption and end up at the bottom of the sea." Chaser reassured him. Chrysalis, who heard everything, couldn't help but narrow his eyes both in annoyance and slight fear.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Chaser was staring down below from the balcony, resting on the parapet, seeing how the marriage progressed and enjoying the sight. Charon and Luna kissed, while the crowd bursted into cheers. Seeing as the time drew near, he stood up and signalled Executor, who nodded from the other balcony in front of him. Chaser's eyes lit up green as he took command of the 15 changeling ponies on his side of the carpet, 15 dark ponies with insectoid wings who began unsheathing their swords and advanced towards the carpet in unison, surprising those who saw them as this was not planned. Soon enough, they reached the carpet and stood tall and raised their swords high, clashing with the other 15 changeling ponies under Executor's command forming an arc of swords from the carpet's beginning to end. Chaser saw how Charon and Luna were staring at him dumbfounded, still with his green eyes, until he gave a thumbs up that reassured them. Charon, with a swift movement, carried Luna on his arms to her surprise, rushing below the 15 arcs of swords that led outside where a carriage waited for them, the crowd following them as they left until the entire building was empty. Chaser stepped over the balcony's parapet and flew down below to the floor, slowly walking outside until he met with the rest of he crowd, seeing the carriage already driving away.

"Guess we'll have to call Princess Luna 'Empress Luna' from now on..." He whispered to himself, no one hearing him as he smiled behind his gasmask that hid his burnt skin from everyone. He stood silent, the only things heard being the cheers of the ponies and the changeling ponies, who cared not for their differences anymore.

"Through blood and tears..." Executor spoke as he walked next to Chaser. "...We met many horrors: Corruption, deception, misunderstandings, death... And now, after pulling through them in any way we could, we are left with this. I say we earned our damn happy ending."

"I still don't understand what this 'love' is all about." Spoke Chrysalis, walking next to Chaser.

"Live and let live." Chaser said. "It's about seeing others happy because of one's sacrifice."

"Chaser, Executor, over here!!" Atticus loudly whispered from the doors of the castle, gathering the attention of the three changlings and making them turn around. "There's something you must see!!" He kept calling for them with his hoof.

Once the three reached the doors, they peeked inside, seeing Celestia and Concord talking, as if they were waiting for the building to be empty.

"I- I don't know how to say this..." Concord awkwardly spoke with Celestia inside.

"...Concord?" Executor asked to himself, being silenced by the others so as not to risk their presence being known.

"We've known each other for so long, we've pulled through so many things... Now..." He sighed, taking out a tiny box from his pocket. "Celestia... Will you marry me?" He opened the box, revealing a gold ring with a diamond encrusted on it. At this event, Celestia was speechless, already tearing up with her hands on her mouth. The only thing she did, was stepping forward and kissing him, stunning him in his place.

"D'aww..." Executor, Chaser and Atticus said in unison at this sight.

"I don't think my old heart was prepared for this..." Atticus stated, cleaning a tear off his cheek.